Small a giant of Illinois golf

Thursday

Aug 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMAug 30, 2007 at 8:31 AM

Mike Small now stands alone in Illinois golf.

Tim Cronin

Mike Small now stands alone in Illinois golf.
By winning the 85th Illinois PGA Championship, Small established himself as the dominant player in state tournament history.
Small’s three-stroke victory over Roy Biancalana at Stonewall Orchard Golf Course in Grayslake brought him the heretofore unachieved Illinois Triple Crown. Earlier in the year, he won the section’s match play title. Earlier in the month, he won the Illinois Open for the third straight year.
“It’s an honor,” Small said of his achievements, which include wins in 11 state majors over the last seven years. “Ten years ago, I didn’t think I’d be in this position. I’ve learned how to win.”
And win and win, doing so when he moonlights from his day job as head coach of the University of Illinois men’s golf team. This was his fifth straight section title and record sixth triumph in the last seven years. Runner-up Biancalana, a PGA Tour veteran, paid Small the ultimate compliment.
“We’re playing against the best player the section’s ever seen, by a mile,” Biancalana said. “He’s ‘Tour’ good. He’s the best ball-striker I’ve ever played with.”
Biancalana, who also lost to Small in the match play final, had a close-up view of Small's final round of 2-under 70. It featured three birdies in the first four holes, enough to counteract what Small called “stalling out on the back nine.”
That hardly hurt his cause. Small finished at 14-under 202, believed to be a record score for the Illinois PGA Championship, and collected $14,500. That ran his earnings in the three Triple Crown wins to $38,424. Add in a third-place finish in the PGA Club Pro tournament and making the cut in the PGA Championship, and Small’s had another sensational summer.
Biancalana, who scored 4-under 68, closed the gap to three strokes with three holes to play when Small bogeyed the par-4 15th. Biancalana parred it.
“Roy got my attention on the 15th,” Small said.
“I think I made him think a little, at least for half a hole,” said Biancalana, whose total of 11-under 205 would have won any of the past 28 section titles.
For Small, there’s one goal that won’t be achieved this year. He won’t play in the last of the four state pro majors, the Fall Classic, at the end of September at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena. It’s in conflict with the college tournament Illinois is hosting at Olympia Fields Country Club.
That leaves the state’s Grand Slam left to be won. Maybe next year.
More golf news is at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports.

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